Population
Estimated population is 7,000 (2010) and decreasing.
Status EN
Habitat destruction, degradation and fragmentation, hunting, illegal trade, are the main threats.
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.
Yellow-headed Amazon (Amazona oratrix) [XC618615]
by Manuel Grosselet from Oaxaca, San Augustin Etla, terreno de Golf, Mexico (song)
Yellow-headed Amazon (Amazona oratrix) [XC294842]
by Frank Holzapfel from Minatitlan, refineria de SAnta Alejandrina, Veracruz, Mexico (flight call)
Subspecies
Polytypic and, in Central America, apparently polymorphic. Often broken down into three species: Yellow-headed Parrot (Amazona oratrix), incorporating tresmariae and belizensis; Yellow-naped Parrot (Amazona auropalliata), incorporating caribaea and parvipes; and Yellow-crowned Parrot (Amazona ochrocephala) incorporating panamensis, xantholaema and nattereri. However, considerable variation and overlap in characters exist in populations in and adjacent to Honduras, such that no very coherent species limits can be set at any point between oratrix to the northern and panamensis to the south. Possibly the clearest-cut step would involve separating oratrix and tresmariae, thus transferring belizensis to the ochrocephala group. On present knowledge, entire complex is probably best regarded as a single species. Patterns of variation remain unclear and birds of extreme eastern Guatemala may be separable as subspecies guatemalensis and those of north-western Honduras as hondurensis. Both of these forms appear closer to oratrix group than to auropalliata group.
Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Yellow-crowned Parrot (Amazona ochrocephala).
The following 4 subspecies are recognised:
oratrix Ridgway, 1887 - Pacific and Atlantic lowlands of Mexico. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Yellow-crowned Parrot (Amazona ochrocephala).
tresmariae Nelson, 1900 - Tres Marias Is, off west-central Mexico. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Yellow-headed Parrot (Amazona oratrix).
belizensis Monroe & Howell, TR, 1966 - Belize. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Yellow-headed Parrot (Amazona oratrix).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet